“A Riddle” by Moon Glow

"A Riddle" is a whimsically chaotic ode to humor in its purest, most unfiltered form. With lyrics by Samuel E Burns, Moon Glow delivers a piece that feels both philosophical and delightfully absurd — a tightrope walk between the existential and the slapstick.
At its heart, this song is an exploration of laughter — not as a polished punchline, but as a raw, often nonsensical response to the world’s unpredictability. Burns cleverly weaves in philosophical references (“Plato would've cracked up”) with pie-in-the-face imagery and nose-picking antics. It’s a celebration of the ridiculous — a poetic defense of letting go and embracing the nonsense that often defines the human experience.
The chorus, repeated like a mantra, anchors the song emotionally:
"Out my back door,
A riddle I can’t ignore...
The punchline,
A place that feels like home!"
This refrain captures the essence of the piece: laughter not as an escape, but as a homecoming — a return to innocence, absurdity, and the kind of joy that doesn’t need to make sense.
Burns’s lyrics intentionally blur the line between profound and preposterous. Philosophers chase truth, but what if the truth is just a well-timed fart joke? The song mocks the search for meaning while implying that laughter is meaning — a theme that resonates in today’s overly serious world.
Lines like:
“Frontal cortex, think you’re smart,
But you just got hit with a flying cart!”
echo the song’s core contradiction — our brains might seek order, but our hearts crave a good laugh, even if it’s at our own expense.
While “A Riddle” is playful on the surface, it carries subtle commentary: on how we intellectualize joy, sanitize comedy, and sometimes forget how healing absurdity can be. There’s a subversive undercurrent running through the lines — one that challenges highbrow expectations and academic seriousness. And yet, it never comes across as preachy.
Set to the right instrumentation — maybe acoustic rock, upbeat folk, or quirky indie pop — this song would be a crowd-pleaser, especially in live performances where the energy of laughter is shared communally. Its repetitive chorus and humorous imagery beg for audience participation and could easily become a festival favorite.